During spring training games, Major League Baseball is implementing another change: so-called robot umpires.
There are still human umpires calling these spring training games. But when players disagree with a called ball or strike, they will be able to appeal for a review by the Automated Ball-Strike System.
Each team will get two chances to challenge a ball or strike call, and if they get the call correct, the team keeps its review rather than losing it. Only the hitter, pitcher, or catcher can call for a review, and reviews must be called within two seconds of the call being made. The review process is said to take around 17 seconds.
If the system is successful in spring training, the MLB could adopt it for the 2026 regular season.
This is not the first time baseball has used robot umpires. Starting in 2023, it was used by every AAA team, and it was considered a success.
The robot umpires are not always 100 percent accurate, but they are more accurate than a human. This change can help teams drastically, though.
Imagine it is Game Seven of the World Series, the bases are loaded, and it is a 3-2 count with two outs. The pitcher throws a strike, but it is called a ball and the critical run scores.
That is not a good look for the human umpire and it is a run that should not score. With the robot umpires, though, that play can be challenged. If the call is overturned, the inning is over and no damage is done.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. But it is looking positive for the future of baseball and the future of technology in baseball.
This is a good change, since it will reduce mistakes and make games more fair. But some people, including players like Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Max Scherzer, disagree. Scherzer told The Athletic, “I get what we’re trying to do here, but I think major league umpires are really good. They’re really good.”
“We know there are going to be strikes that are changed to balls, and balls that are changed to strikes. So we’re going to basically be even. So are we actually going to improve the game? Are the umpires really that bad? I don’t think so,” he said.
There are other valid arguments against the robot umps: Human umpires have been calling games since baseball was invented and it has been fine.
Major league umpires are very good, but they are never perfect. There are always times where they get a call wrong, but for the most part they are right.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out. But it is looking positive for the future of baseball and the future of technology in baseball.
